1. Field of the Invention
The purpose of this invention is providing a low-cost motion simulator to be used in homes and other venues. The invention can be adapted for children or adults.
The invention has a seat which moves in response to signals from a smart phone or smart tablet, hereinafter referred to as “computer tablet.” The nature of the motion is determined by application-specific software (an “app”) in the computer tablet. The computer tablet's display is used to display motion-related images. The seat can rotate about any axis. Pitch and roll are limited, but the range of each is sufficient for many simulations. Yaw is unlimited.
2. the Prior Art
Many motion simulators have been developed. A well-known early one was the Link Trainer, which had an analog control system and a mechanical arrangement based of pneumatic devices. There are many modern motion simulators using digital computers for control. Some are large and very expensive, so they are used only by such persons as professional aircraft pilots.
One marketed by Simcraft is small enough for nonprofessional use. It has a seat mounted on gimbals, so any rotation is possible. The control system is a conventional digital computer with application-specific software. There seem to be no patents for this device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,490,784 and 6,629,896 describe large simulators with spherical moving platforms, supported by drive wheels which move the sphere by friction. These inventions are not suitable for home use.
In contrast, the present invention is small enough to be used in homes. Since it uses a computer tablet as the main control device, a family can purchase a basic physical unit, then use an already-owned computer tablet for the control. Thus the physical units can be sold inexpensively.